I adore Williamsburg!

Me, too. As kids we went often enough that my eldest sister had the tape they'd play on the bus memorized. Of course, no more bus, but still the same movie. My Aunt and Uncle live there (when not in Maine) and can buy us all tickets at 50% off, which makes it even more attractive. The friends we're going with have two kids who have never been -- I predict many trips through the hedge maze, although I will be trying to kindle Wig and Peruque maker love in them.

Cash, that's terrible about the bicycle. If you have to replace it, craigslist is usually a great place to find used bikes. My DH got a good one there that he tricked out for triathlons.

one of those tugs is going to pop the button loose

I hope she doesn't poke someone's eye out.

I will be trying to kindle Wig and Peruque maker love in them.

The paper maker was my thing.

Thanks, juliana and Sparky. We'll most likely get the cops over here and file a report and then check into filing an insurance claim. If they send us a check, DH can check around. We've got a good relationship with our bike shop--my SiL just came over here from Indiana to buy a bike from them. They may cut us a deal.

I need to order a new coupler for the kids' trailer for now so I can at least take them for a ride with MY bike. After DH fixes the seat, anyway.

Jilli, I have a link that the Lady of the Manners might want to address in a future GCS column: [link] -- specifically, the caption for the Brunkrissla quilt cover.

(Unrelatedly -- except for the IKEA factor -- I really want to buy the Skubb, just for the name.)

Hrm, we just got an email that there's a water main break that's affecting water and air conditioning on campus. Dare I hope they send us home early?

Jilli, I have a link that the Lady of the Manners might want to address in a future GCS column: [link] -- specifically, the caption for the Brunkrissla quilt cover.

That's just... WTF? I'm sure they're trying to be funny, but it's just... not.

Apparently Nickelodoen has made a deal with Marriot that they are opening quite a few more of these resorts in the next few years. Sounds like this might be a regular contract for while if all goes well.

oh, yay! except for fewer opportunities to play Halo and other games, yay! you don't need to sleep, do you?

Oooh, I want the Lady of the Manners to come down on them like a sack of hammers. A sack of frostily polite pink-and-black-beribboned hammers, but a sack of hammers nevertheless.

Re: Ikea being woefully ignorant. I have written and sent an email.

To whom it may concern:

As an Ikea customer first in Burbank, California and now in Canton, Michigan I was very distressed to see that on your most recent email for grad gifts you refer to a "gothic" roommate as a "bad influence".

I find this comment to be not only highly offensive, but painfully ignorant of the Goth subculture.

Being a Goth or "gothic", as your description put it, does not automatically mean "bad influence". Wearing mostly black and having a whimsical view on the macabre do not go hand in hand with bad behavior. This is a huge misconception about a subculture that takes great strides in trying to dispel this myth.

Would Ikea say the same thing about a hip-hop roommate? Or a Hispanic roommate? Or a Southern roommate? Or say, a Swedish roommate? No, I don't think they would.

Ikea needs to issue a public apology for being so incredibly insensitive and ignorant of the Goth community and what it actually means to be Goth.

Until such time as this happens, I will taking my furniture and household goods needs elsewhere, and I will be encouraging people to do the same. Hopefully Ikea will respond to this request and remain in good favor with all of its customers.

Thank you,

Aimee